Advanced Color Correcting Using the 3-Way Color Corrector in FCP

The 3-Way Color Corrector in Final Cut Pro is an amazing tool to add that final touch to your movie project. In the following steps I will show you a simple way to add versatility to your color correcting and how to achieve that desired cinematic look.

Step 1: Bring Clip Into Timeline

Let's get started!

Double click on the clip in the Browser window to bring it into the Viewer window. Create your in and out points then drag the clip into your timeline.

For my clip I chose a shot of the Saw Stop table saw at Techshop in Menlo Park.

Step 2: Duplicate Layer

When you have the clip you want to color correct in your timeline, you need to start off by duplicating the layer and placing it directly on top. You can do this by holding ALT+SHIFT, clicking on the clip, and simply dragging it directly above in the next layer.

Step 3: Adding the Tint Filter

Step 4: Overlay Top Layer

As you can now see in your Canvas window, your clip hasn't changed yet. The only visible change is the tinted, bottom layer which you can see in the Viewer window. In the next step the fun begins and you'll start seeing your clip transform.

Right click on the top layer go down to Composite Mode then select Overlay.

Step 5: Aplying 3-Way Color Corrector

As you can see in your Canvas window, your clip has officially changed! In some cases, depending on the lighting, original color of your footage, and the effect you are looking for, you can leave it like this. We are going to take it a step further.

With the top layer highlighted, go to Effects> Video Filters> Color Correction> Color Correction 3-Way and apply the filter to your clip.

Step 6: Adjusting the Color

After the Color Correction filter has been applied, double click on the top layer in the timeline to bring it into the Viewer window, then click on the Color Corrector 3-Way tab to view the window in which you will be making the adjustments.

Here is where you can let your creative side run wild! Adjust the Blacks, Mids, Whites, and Saturation to achieve the effect you are looking for.

Step 7: Final Product

As you can see, with the filters and adjustments applied, the color of your clip has drastically changed.

I was going for a look to make the details of the saw blade really pop, slightly menacing . The look is entirely up to you! Experiment with different adjustments.

**DON'T FORGET: you have two layers! This gives you a lot more flexibility when color correcting. If you wanted to get even more fancy with it, instead of using a Tint filter on the bottom layer, you could use a Sepia or Threshold filter. The possibilities are endless!!

Step 8: Have Fun!

As an editor, you have all the creative control you want! You are an artist! Final Cut Pro is an amazing and powerful software with many filters to choose from. Take advantage of these filters to add that special touch to your project!

I hope you enjoyed my very first tutorial on Instructables.com. Please let me know what you thought of it in the comment section below! Thanks for reading!

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2 Comments

The only area where I could see for improvement is that you're relying heavily on your own color perception while doing this, and coincidentally, your monitor's color calibration. While not inherently a problem, if your monitor is off, then everything else your video plays on will be, as well.

The solution: Video Scopes! You can open these up by either selecting them in the tools menu or selecting "Color Correct" in the arrangements, which are in the window menu.

I am very familiar with video scopes, but incorporating that in this tutorial would take away from the simplicity of this, especially for someone new to color correcting in FCP. I suppose "correction" is slightly misinterpreted as in this tutorial, it's more about adding an artful touch. This is just the route I like to take when adding a cinematic look to my projects.